The Chestnut Festival
by Krillin Fan
Summary: A collection of stories in celebration of K18 week and beyond! (Warning: Rating may change for later chapters. Wink wink, nudge nudge.)
1. Centered

It was peaceful at Kame House.

The sun had just begun to break over the horizon, a beautiful shade of blue and orange mixed in the horizon. The sea birds had begun to stir and were calling out, flying lazy circles above the water. A pair of playful dolphins leapt into the air.

All this was lost, however, on one still-sleepy blonde, whose gaze was fixed on the little man on the beach. He sat in only a pair of swim trunks, cross-legged in the sand, just at the edge of the surf, eyes closed and hands folded in his lap. His breathing was steady and deep, enough so that she'd have thought him asleep were it not for the occasional slight shift in position.

This wasn't the first time she'd found him like this. Over the course of the last few weeks since she'd accepted his offer to stay, she's arisen early and found him like this. It was a strange, almost ritualistic thing for him, it seemed.

Quietly, she shuffled across the sands and sat herself next to him, gazing into his face. A face usually so outwardly happy when around others, yet so glum and pained when he thought he was alone; it now seemed serene to her. Like he was finally at peace.

"Well, good morning there." 18 jumped back a bit, startled by the sudden greeting.

"Y-yeah, same to you."

"You're out and about pretty early. Is something wrong?"

She sifted sand through her fingers. "Not really. Just boredom. I mean, I don't really require much sleep, TV's not an option this early, and the reading material here isn't exactly tailored to my interests, so..."

Krillin smiled. "Ah, yeah. Sorry about that. I can name you a few bookstores I know of for the next time you wanna head back to the mainland. I'm sure you can find something there."

18 brushed some of the errant sand off her shorts. "Sure. Sounds like a plan." The two sat in silence again for another few minutes, just listening to the call of birds and crashing waves before 18 worked up the nerve to ask what had been on her mind. "What are you doing, exactly?"

"Meditating."

"Oh." She raised an eyebrow. "I always thought you needed incense and some kind of chant for that."

Krillin chuckled. "Nah, that's only if it's a religious ceremony. Or a movie. Mostly a movie, honestly. Personally, I don't really do this for any sort of religious purpose, at least not anymore."

"Anymore? You left your faith, then?"

Krillin sighed. "Honestly... it was less my faith as means to an end. Orin Temple _was_ a temple, after all, and the only reason I ever wanted to be inducted in an official capacity in the first place was to get good at fighting so I could get a girlfriend." He laughed. "Imagine my surprise when I learned the vows included celibacy after the fact..."

18 smirked. "And do you intend to keep that vow?"

He blushed. and rubbed the back of his head. "Well I kinda left the vows behind when I left them. Though I can't really seem to get a girlfriend anyways..." 18's frown went seemingly unnoticed. "But hey, I can eat meat again, that's a plus."

"But when I do this, it helps me focus. It clears my mind of distraction, keeps my ki in alignment, balances the body and soul." He smiled. "Sounds really cliché, I know, but it keeps me centered."

He cleared his throat and returned to his original posture. "Anyways, I should probably get back to it. You're welcome to join me, if you like."

18 hesitated. It had seemed impossibly dull, just sitting there on the sand, listening to the vast nothingness around the island, and yet... it hadn't been so bad, she noted, to simply sit with him. He'd had even a sort of calming affect on her, alleviating both her boredom and desire to not be alone. It certainly couldn't hurt...

Besides, it's not as if there was anything else to do.

"Sure".

* * *

In the weeks that followed, 18 had spent nearly every morning joining Krillin on the beach, meditating with him. He hadn't been wrong, she realized, about its effects. She'd felt less temperamental, more serene. The nightmares, though not gone, had been less frequent. And, she realized, she had a friend. One whose company she had grown to enjoy far more than she'd ever thought possible.

More, she thought, than one should with a friend. What used to be laughs, she realized to her embarrassment, had become giggles. What used to be banter was becoming increasingly flirtatious. She'd caught herself more than once stealing glances at him as he sat there, shirtless, and finding it extremely hard to regain her composure and concentration; a small part of her wondered, even hoped, if perhaps she'd been having the same effect on him, to the point of actively wearing more revealing sleepwear just to see if she could catch him blushing.

Truth be told, it also brought with it the slightest tinge of fear. Fear of rejection, perhaps? Fear of something new? She couldn't truly say.

All these thoughts swirled through her mind as she and her small companion once again sat on the beach, attempting to meditate. Well, attempting in vain, in her case. She was becoming increasingly frustrated; she was acting like a girl with a crush now, there was no denying it. It was impossible for her to focus properly, certainly today.

' _Well,"_ she thought to herself, _"if I can't do that, I suppose I can work on that other thing he taught me.'  
_  
18 closed her eyes and breathed deep, stretching her senses to test the aura of the man next to her. Krillin had, not long ago, taught her about sensing the ki and aura of others, and had reasoned that since she was still human, she should be able to as well. She'd gotten the hang of it, or the basics of it at least, and now seemed as good a time as any to put it to the test.

He was warm, she noticed. Warm and bright. There was a faint fuzziness to it, as though it were soft.

It was also comforting and inviting. And without thinking, without realizing, she'd reached to to touch it, grasping his hand in her own.

18 gasped slightly as she felt that same warmth flow over her from their connecting, his aura mingling with her own. She felt safe, happy. Peaceful.

When she felt him return that grasp, when he squeezed her and gently and caressed it with her thumb, she felt it even more so.

Perhaps her affections weren't misplaced. Maybe things would be alright after all.

And for the first time since before she and her brother had met that monster, 18 truly, genuinely smiled.


	2. Internal Affairs

_Heya all. Just a heads up: the rating for this chapter kinda spikes hard into M territory. A certain friend coerced me into trying my hand at my first (vague and mild, probably) lemon-ish fic thing. Normally I wouldn't have but the scenario lent itself to it and I figured I best just get it out of the way, cross it off the ol' bucket list, so to speak. Prompt was AU or Cosplay, and I chose the former. (which could also count as the latter, technically. lol)_

 _So without further ado... here we go._

* * *

 _'It's chilly in here.'_

Lazuli crossed her arms to stave off the mild cold as she gazed at the ceiling, counting the cracks. She was no stranger to the police station's interrogation room by any means; run with the right crew, a little bit of light vandalism here, little bit of lifting there, and it tended to get one in pretty quickly.

Lately, however, she'd had a bit of an ulterior motive for her rebellious streak. A charming, shy, adorable ulterior motive, in fact...

* * *

Officer Krillin sighed as he walked down the hall, headed to the interrogation room. Dealing with this girl had become a regular occurrence for him in the short time he'd been with the SCPD; she and her bother were actually his first arrest. Since then, she'd been a frequent visitor to the station, though never under any serious charges. He'd noted, however, that since then, the frequency had at least doubled, and it hadn't exactly been hard to figure out why.

He'd brought them in for lifting, arguably their most serious offense. The chief had suggested they throw the book at them, a week minimum in lockup and a steep fine. When he'd learned that they'd stolen food after not having eaten in about a week, he'd talked his boss down to an overnight and minimal fine, which he then paid for out of his own pocket. Since then, it seemed the girl had developed a bit of a fixation on him.

He came to a stop in front of the old metal door and his fists clenched in.. hesitation? Perhaps even anticipation? He couldn't deny he enjoyed the attention a bit, even if he did think it was just a case of her picking on an easy mark. _'Well. Here we go again.'_

The door creaked open and he stepped in, perhaps a tad too robotic, trying to keep is cool. A fight he was losing. There she was, silky blonde hair, bright blue eyes, that backwards cap she was so fond of...

A skirt that seemed far too short...

He gulped audibly before plopping in the chair across from her.

She smirked at him, eyeing him in a way that made him feel uneasy.

"Good grief, this has to be the fifth time this month you've been in here," he finally spoke, trying to regain his composure.

The young blonde leaned her chair back and placed a dimmed white and black sneaker up on the table examining her well-maintained nails. "Well, I did ask you for your number and you wouldn't give it, how else am I supposed to get ahold of you when I wanna see you?"

The officer blushed and cleared his throat. "Th-this is neither the time or place to play these games, young lady. We're talking about your fut-"

"Yeah, yeah, my future. So sweet that you care and all, but do me a favor? Drop the 'young lady' tripe. I'm barely any younger than you. And..." she followed the path of his eyes and realized what he was staring at, flushing slightly and smiling. "And I think you seem to like what you're seeing there."

His eyes widened and face turned beet red. "N-no, I wasn't looki-er," he coughed. "I have no idea what you mean, Miss Lazuli. Now back to the topic at hand..."

Lazuli rolled her eyes. "Okay, yeah, I was tagging." She raised a finger. "That doesn't mean it was necessarily to get your attention this time though. Coulda just been out with Lapis, you never kno-"

His eyes narrowed in mild annoyance. "You were alone and you were busted after spraying 'Officer Shorty has a big unit' on the side of the local high school."

"..."

"...I mean, that could mean multiple things, really." Krillin facepalmed as she tried her best to keep a straight face.

He tugged on the badge on his yellow shirt. "Look, you see this badge?"

"Yes. It's hard not to. It's huge. Disproportionately so, in fact. You should probably mention that to your boss."

"I-it's a rookie thi-LOOK, the point is, I am an officer of the law here, a new one. I've been trying to earn people's respect." He ran a hand through his hair. "It's kinda hard to do when one of the local kids is spray-painting descriptions of my endowment for the world to read, y'know? I mean... have I made you mad or something? Is that why you're mocking me?"

Lazuli rubbed her temples and sighed. "I would have thought I'd made how I feel about you patently obvious by now, but..." She looked him in the eye. "Since you helped out me and my bro, I started feeling... weird when I thought about you. Like-I mean, even the boys around here, I never really... had an interest?" She laughed. "Had my brother convinced I was a lesbian for a while. But I just never felt... anything that way."

Krillin felt his face turn a deeper hue of red as she continued. "You helped me, us. Lotsa guys have been willing to help me in the past, usually expecting something in return. You... you didn't. Even as you helped us, it came with the lectures, the lessons. It was... well, really friggin' annoying That means a lot to me."

She stood from her chair and made her way toward him, hips swaying. "You've been so understanding with us, _both_ of us, and even the losers we pal with sometimes. You sit and listen when we need to vent..." She reached out and gently caressed his cheek. "Nothin' but honest and kind." She smirked again. "And I gotta admit, you're pretty damn cute too."

Krillin was dumbfounded. This girl, this woman, whether he had wanted to admit it or not, had been in his head nonstop since he first met her those months ago. She was attractive, there was no denying that. But she was also so... mysterious. Seemingly aloof. So teasing in everything she did. She'd fascinated him, and he'd wanted to know her better. And now, here she was, seemingly confessing her feelings to him.

"I... I never thought you would... I mean you're beautiful and I'm..." a finger to his lips silenced him. His breath hitched as she took his hand and guided it under her skirt, and he gasped and the damp warmth he felt there.

Slowly, she withdrew his hand and raised it to her lips,suckling the wetness from his fingers. He'd died and gone to heaven. Had to have. There was no way this was happening in real life, right?

Lazuli giggled. "You believe me now?" He nodded and she leaned forward to plant a kiss on his cheek and whisper. "It gets like this when I'm with you. Every time." She looked down and her blue eyes widened in surprise and delight. "Well, well, it seems my little calling card was accurate after all." He swallowed hard as she pulled back and smiled, her eyes hungry as her fingers made for his zipper.

"So. What are we gonna do about this?"

Lazuli didn't know exactly how he would react to this confession, or her advances. It could have gone a number of ways, and she certainly had her favorite scenarios. Krillin's hand gripping hers and stopping her from proceeding.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

He was visibly shaking, tears threatening to well up in his eyes. "P-please... don't do this to me unless this is going somewhere. I can't... I've been burned by girls before. I can't do it, not again. Not if we're not serious."

Lazuli could feel her budding annoyance begin to subside, replaced with a strange, painful tinge of sympathy.. She took his face in her hands and gently kissed the space where his nose would normally be. "I'm not just messing with you, OK? I promise." She trailed a hand down his arm and slipped the cuffs off his belt and straddled his lap. "I want to be with you. I want to be part of your life, and I want you to be part of mine. When you're around, I feel... happy. Like I finally belong somewhere. So please..." he heard a faint click and glanced over to see his right hand and her left, cuffed together, fingers intertwined.

"Please trust me when I say I'm not going anywhere."

She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. He responded, gently at first, gently running his free hand up her back as the kiss grew in intensity. No longer chaste, it had become heated, hungry, desperate. When Lazuli began grinding against him, whimpering and moaning, he knew there was no turning back, and when they broke away, gasping for air, he was never more ready in his life.

"So..." Lazuli nuzzled him as she finished lowering his zipper and reached within. "How about you help me forfeit that 'right to remain silent'?"

* * *

Goku made his way down the hall toward the interrogation room. "Where the heck is Krillin? He was supposed to come with Chi-Chi & me to dinner tonight." His sergeant had said he was tied up questioning some girl in the isolation room in the back, something about a regular case who was a "real looker" and advised him to knock first; something the man had found incredibly funny for whatever reason Goku couldn't see.

"Aha, here it is." Goku gripped the knob and prepared to throw it open when he heard faint sounds escaping from the inside. He pressed his ear to the door and listened. Goku's eyes went wide and his mouth dropped open as he heard what sounded like a fight; a woman shouting loud expletives, low growls, the cries and grunts of his short friend...

There was no mistaking it; Krillin was being attacked! Without hesitation, Goku flung open the door and stepped in, ready to fight. "Don't worry Krillin, I got you-". Goku's eyes once again widened, his pupils becoming mere dots as his jaw practically hit the floor.

The girl he'd been questioning was currently bouncing in his best friend's lap, shirt lifted over exposed breasts, skirt lifted over a toned, but ample rump, fingers intertwined with his as she called out more complimentary expletives, her face pure bliss before suddenly crushing her lips against his, slamming her hips down and spasming wildly as her release flowed from her, her own rough, guttural cry mixing with Krillin's low moan as he held her firmly in place, his legs shaking as he followed soon after.

Lazuli lifted her head, eyes still heavy with her bliss, when she noticed their visitor. She had no idea who he was or why he was there, but she would be damned if he let him interrupt this.

Goku looked on, in shock and a bit of fear, as the girl growled at him and began rocking her hips ever-so slightly, desperate to prolong both her release pleasure and her lover's.

Without another word, he quietly backed out of the room. _'On second thought... I'll just wait outside.'_

* * *

The door shut hard, and a dazed Krillin lifted his head out of curiosity. "Whuzzat?"

"We had a visitor. Muscular guy, crazy hair." She chuckled. "I think I scared him off."

"Oh crap! That was Goku!" Krillin fumbled desperately for his handcuff keys on his belt that was no longer there and smacked his forehead. "Babe, can you grab those for me?" he asked.

Lazuli arched an eyebrow as she reached down near his ankles for his keys. "'Babe', huh?"

Krillin laughed, slightly embarrassed. "Heh, well... I mean, if you don't like it I'll respect that."

"It's fine." She handed him his keys. "...honey." She tried to suppress her laughter as his face seemed to light up and he set about uncuffing them. "God, that seems so weird. But... nice."

She stood on wobbly legs, gripping the table to help steady herself. "Sheesh. Guess that was more intense than I thought. Though I suppose four times in one go isn't exactly normal, is it?"

Krillin shrugged. "Iunno, honestly. I've never actually done this before. Not bad for a beginner, eh?" He laughed

She smiled. "You're a real dork, you know that?"

"Funny, you were calling me something else just a second ago." He grinned as she smacked him lightly on the back of the head.

They dressed quickly, hoping to avoid any further intrusion and started down the hall, when a sudden realization dawned on the blonde. "Oh no..."

"Something wrong?" Krillin asked.

Lazuli turned to face him, face pale. "Were there... cameras in that room?"

Krillin also felt the color drain from his face as his eyes went wide. "Uh... um.." He shot down the hall in a blink.

Lazuli stood expressionless. She didn't regret what she'd done, not at all. But if there was video of that... what if she lost Krillin his job? What if that tape hit the internet? What if...?

Krillin came racing back down the hall and stopped in front of her panting, with disc in hand. "OK. I think we're good. I wiped the drive's footage for the day and swiped the backup copy. Thankfully since you were the only one sent there today, it shouldn't be an issue."

She reached out and took the disc from him, slipping it into her jacket pocket. "Good. I'll hold onto this for now." She smirked at him. "I'll have use for this here during those long days you're away at work."She felt her heart flutter a bit when his face once again lit up a bright red. She didn't think she'd ever grow tired to getting a rise out of him.

 _'In more ways than one...'_ Lazuli sighed. Good grief, her previously nonexistent sex drive was firing on all cylinders and she wasn't sure if she was annoyed or if she loved it.

As they neared the entrance, Krillin slipped his hand into hers. "By the way," he said. "I'm supposed to go to dinner with my friend and his wife tonight and... man, I'm so doing this backwards... I was wondering if... maybe... you might wanna come?" She stopped dead in her tracks and looked at him, eyes widened. "I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to. I just figured it'd make me feel like less of a third wheel, a-and... I'd really like my friends to meet my new girlfrien-" Lazuli's lips pressed against his quickly, but gently, cutting short his ramblings.

She squeezed his hand and smiled, feeling her own face become flushed. She was finally going on a proper date with her new love. "Yes. I think I would like that very much."

He held the door open for her and she started out onto the steps, but stopped halfway through. "But just for the record," she ran her finger down his chest. "When we're done, I expect you to take me home and, ah... finish 'reading me my rights'."

Krillin turned a shade redder than she'd ever seen him as she winked, and walked out the door, followed soon by a sputtering, very excited little officer.

Yeah, she could definitely get used to this.


	3. The Date Night That Wasn't

_OK, full disclosure: This one's a tad rushed and forced. I mean, I drew a blank on the two prompts for today anyways, I knew I'd struggle with it, but I also had very little free time to get this one out, so I apologize if it's a tad lackluster. Can't promise the next two will be on time though, especially the one for the 18th. That one I need to make sure is as good as possible._

 _Hopefully, for now, you can enjoy this. Also yay, you get to meet an OC. See if you can figure out the totally hard-to-get name pun. lol  
_

* * *

 **The Date Night That Wasn't or: Why You Should Never, Under Any Circumstances, Give Marron Chocolate**

"Thanks again for agreeing to babysit for us tonight, Ritoni."

A large, overly-muscular man in an olive tank top and BDUs saluted in response. "It's my honor, sir! You've taught me so much in my time on the force, this is the least I can do to repay you, sir!"

Krillin cringed and adjusted his tie. "Ritoni, I'm your partner, not your superior. You don't have to call me 'sir'..."

Rtioni stood, black mullet now being swept by a mysterious wind from nowhere. "Sir, no sir! You saved my life twice. That warrants respect, sir!"

"...how even do you do that?" A sharp honk sounded from outside. "Crap, the wife is waitin' for me."

He pulled a sheet of paper out of his back pocket. "OK, here's her nightly schedule. Bedtime is strictly at 8:00, no drinks after 7:30, and no matter what, do not give that girl chocolate." He handed Ritoni the paper and gripped his hand tightly. "Seriously. Do not. For your sake."

Ritoni scratched his bandanna'd head in confusion as Krillin jogged to the door, stopping to kiss the little blonde girl on the head. "Daddy loves you sweetie. Be a good girl for your sitter, ok?"

The little girl giggled and grinned widely. "OK, daddy! Luff you!"

"See you two in a couple hours." he called, shutting the door behind him.

The little girl looked up at the giant man who was serving as her babysitter and smiled. "Hi. I'm Marron. 's yer name?"

Ritoni loomed over the girl and leaned down slowly, massive square jaw jutting forward. Marron began to back away slowly as a grin slowly forced its way across his face. "WELL MY GOSH, AREN'T YOU JUST THE CUTEST THING EVE-wait, stop, why are you crying?"

The little girl was bawling her eyes out, trying to hide from him. "Oh no! I've frightened the child! Please child, do not fear meeee!" He tossed the list of instructions and fished through his pockets, looking for something to make up for it. "Let's see... combat knife... piano wire... spare clip... _another_ spare clip... aha!" He held out a rectangular object to his small charge. "Here, little Ma'am. Would you like some chocolate?"

* * *

18 crossed her arms in the passenger seat on the way home. "I can't believe we got banned from another place. I didn't even do anything wrong." She shot him a sideways glare. "Unlike _someone_ in here."

Krillin sighed. "Babe, you can't keep threatening people in these places for being 'too friendly'."

She fidgeted with the shoulder strap of her dress. "Yeah well... I noticed you weren't exactly discouraging it either."

"Hon. She was the waitress. It's her job to be friendly." The light went red and he took a moment to glance over at her, noting she seemed visibly upset. "What's gotten into you lately, anyways. You seem extra jumpy when other ladies show up."

"...because I feel bad, ok?" He cocked his head as she sighed before continuing. "Look, I... I said something rather... mean in the heat of the moment. Back during that tournament. And I-I feel so... bitchy, and bad-I hadn't done that in so long, not to you. And I guess I'm just..."

The car moved, and she placed her hand on the steering wheel, covering his. "I'm just worried that you might see all these women, and how nice they are, and... look, I'm possessive. I admit it. And I feel kinda... I don't know..."

"Threatened?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Not a feeling I ever thought I'd experience. And even thinking _that_ makes me feel guilty, because I basically just never thought of other women wanting you too. You were always just kinda mine, no challengers."

Krillin smiled. "Babe, I still am. But... it's kinda nice to hear you say that," he chuckled. "But hey, I knew you could be harsh when I asked you to marry me, remember? Heck, the first time I asked if you'd go on a date with me, you actually laughed at me and asked if I was joking. Didn't stop me loving you then, won't stop me loving you now for something that... well, contextually wasn't as bad as that, really."

He pulled the car into the drive and suddenly felt his face yanked to hers for a quick kiss.

"...I'm sorry though. For what I said then."

"Already forgiven, hon." He waggled his brows. "But if that's the apology I get, you should yell at me more often."

He hopped out of the car and trotted around to open her door. "Guess we get to surprise Marron before bed time."

18 smirked. "I'm sure your partner will be thrilled to be rescued from the terror of your daughter."

He turned the lock and opened the door. "Oh come on, she only ever picks on people she kno-OOOHMYGOD!"

The house was trashed. Entire shelves of books emptied onto the floor. A raindow of crayon covered the entirety of the room, mingled with muddy brown handprints. And there, in the middle of the room, was a hog tied Ritoni, a strip of tape across his mouth muffling his cries for help, and a content, smiling Marron sitting perched atop his back.

She yawned "Hi, Papa. Mama. I'm getting sleepy."

18 smiled and picked up their tiny bundle. "Come on, sweetheart. Let's get you cleaned up and ready for bed."

His wife and daughter headed to the bathroom, Krillin turned his attention to the hogtied man in the middle of the room. He couldn't resist a chuckle as he carefully peeled the tape off his partner's face.

"SIR! You have saved me once again! I am forever in your debt!" Ritoni cried, tears streaming down his cheeks. "She moved so fast! Every time I tried to grab her, she flipped me! Tossed me right into that shelf, sir! I've never seen someone so small be so terrifying!"

"Well... I did warn you not to give her chocolate."

* * *

 _So yeah. Ritoni. When I pictured Krillin ever having a partner, a big Rambo type immediately came to mind, but sorta fused with the personality of Kronk from The Emperor's New Groove. I figured it'd be hilarious to have this big bumbling action hero stereotype next to a far stronger, comparatively TINY man whom he looked up to as his hero._  
 _The name only came to me as I was writing._

 _Anyways, hope you enjoyed! I'm gonna TRY to keep updating on time, but if I fall behind a bit, don't fret. Still covering all of these prompts. And more will be added later: gonna keep most of my K18 one-shots in here, I think._

 _See ya!_


	4. It Started With A Kiss

**_'sup folks? Look at me, managing to stay on schedule so far after all!_**

 ** _Today's prompt was "A Kiss" so I figured... why not start with the most obvious one and take a peek at what exactly it was that drew these two together, from her perspective._**

 ** _And with that, let's get right to it._**

* * *

It had started with a whim.

He'd been such an amusing sight, the little man. Legs shaking, visibly terrified, demanding to know their goals. She'd thought him a fool at first; he'd witnessed them take down his friends moments before, several of them far, far stronger than he. Was he honestly going to dare to challenge them? It really hadn't seemed worth her time to even entertain the notion, perhaps her brother would deal with it.

But then, something she hadn't expected.

"I'm begging you, don't. Don't do this. Gero is dead, you don't have to listen to him anymore. Please..."

Stunned wasn't quite the feeling, but she was taken aback. This one wasn't as bullheaded as his peers, it seemed. Not so devoted to proving his manhood, unlike Vegeta or the others, or even her own dear brother. It was a nice trait to see. It was refreshing.

Perhaps, she allowed, even a bit sweet.

Her next actions had been on impulse, but she felt compelled to do it. Perhaps as a teasing reward, perhaps just to reassure him his life wasn't in danger, if only to stop his knees from knocking.

But without a second thought, she'd walked up to him, leaned down, and pecked him on the cheek.

She could feel him freeze, almost instantly, his face a look of pure shock. She smiled and offered him a goodbye, before taking off with her brother, presumably never to see the silly little man again.

And for some reason she couldn't quite identify... the thought made her the slightest bit sad.

* * *

When next she had seen him, he quite literally held her life in his hands.

The monster had taken her brother. Her only friend was nearly destroyed, his systems barely functional. Now she was forced to become a mere spectator, watching as the man she hated most in the world was inexplicably their greatest chance of survival.

And then, from nowhere, the little man had stepped forward, holding a remote. _The_ remote. Gero's shutdown controller. How? Where? Who could have made it?

In that moment, she herself knew what it was to be afraid. To see that now heheld _her_ life in _his_ hands. The tables were turned, the irony noted. She wasn't a fool; she was aware of what his plan most likely had to be. She would be shut down, her life ended. The monster would be denied its goal, his friend would live. He had every reason to do it.

And yet... he hesitated. He stood, feet planted firmly on the ground just looking at her. Was he teasing her? Was this to repay her for what she and her brother had done to him and his friends? Could what had seemed a harmless gesture be coming back to bite her now?

No. He was trembling again, she noted. Gripping the controller tightly, breathing heavily.

And then, suddenly, he stopped. The controller fell from his hands and clattered onto the ground between them. He muttered something under his breath, some sort of apology, raised the foot... and brought it down full force on the device, crushing it beyond repair instantly.

To say she was shaken would be an understatement. She'd demanded answers; why, why on earth would he have done such a thing? Why would he have thrown away a guaranteed victory now?

He'd offered no answer, merely offered his hand to her, to help her run, hide, to keep her safe from that creature for as long as she needed. She hesitated only a moment, noting a seriousness in his face. There was only honesty there; no ulterior motives.

And so, for a short time, they ran. Or tried,before the world went white.

Everything happened so fast after that. She was aware of pain, being slammed to the ground. She was vaguely aware of a struggle, of that strange little man's cries, his attempts to fight that monster as she was enveloped in slime and muscle and a sharp pain...

And then, darkness.

* * *

She awoke on a floating fortress, a tiny slug boy standing over her, declaring her healed. The larger slug man, Piccolo, had told her of the short man's actions, how he'd objected to her destruction at Vegeta's hands, how he'd kept her safe, watched over her well-being the entire time, putting her safety above even his own.

And she... had assumed the worst. "You _like_ her!" the son of Goku, had said, and that had been all the answer she'd thought she needed. She berated him for being fool enough, pig-headed enough to assume she would fall for him if he so much as helped her, as if she were some damsel in a fairy tale, and had fully intended to take her leave.

When the midday sky turned to black, however, and the giant dragon appeared in the sky above, she had decided _that_ may merit further investigation. And there she had learned the truth; the man hadn't ever once assumed her to be his. He'd helped her and her brother fully of mind that he would never have had a chance with her, awkward assumption her brother had been her boyfriend notwithstanding.

At the time, she entered into brief denial; he knew she was there when he wished that. He had to have known, and she'd told him so to his face. There was no way she could have misjudged him so badly,

Was there?

* * *

Three weeks.

It had been three weeks since she'd last seen him on that Lookout. And now she and her brother stood in front of him once again. He'd had answers she needed, and she would have them.

The monster had spit her out, he said. Just some sort of misfire. She had felt the change herself, like a shift in a dream, but to learn the scale or the battle that had occurred shocked her. Perhaps even more shocking, however, was learning that same small man who had held her life in his hands twice, whom she had assumed had only helped her for his own gain... he had helped 16. Her only friend. He'd done the same for him as he'd done for her; he defended 16 from a friend who had deemed him not worth keeping alive. He took him to the foremost robotics expert in the world, the one with the best chance of fixing him, and even removed the prime directive that ran so contrary to 16's nature.

He told them with affection of 16's sacrifice, how he'd been so willing to give his life in order to save them all and the animals he'd loved so much. He told them how their friend had been the key to pushing Gohan to be capable of finally ending the monster who'd taken them. A part of her had felt a great sense of pride in that; despite being a machine, 16 had shown far more 'humanity' than an actual human monster like Gero had ever possessed.

When he offered them a place to stay, her brother had declined. Something about finding a nice cabin in the woods, wanting time to reflect and be alone, adjust to this new chance at life. She had almost agreed.

Almost. There was something in the little man's dark eyes that had felt...warm. Calming. Like there was more he could teach her, more answers that she sought.

She accepted his offer. And, as she walked to the door and prepared to start her new life, she stopped next to him, leaned down, and gently kissed him on the cheek.

"Thank you."


	5. The Big News

_Well whaddya know! I actually made it for all five days! GO ME!_

This one is a bit longer than the rest, but honestly... worth it. I'd actually been working on this concept for a while but could never make it flow. Today, I did. Special thanks to Cj4Dj and Deadly Beauty for the encouragement!

And so, without any further delay, please enjoy this entry for K18 Day!  


* * *

"I'm just saying, I don't understand why they insist on renaming this place 'Satan City'. Especially when it's probably not even the man's real name."

Chi-Chi shifted her shopping bag to her left hand and smoothed the front of her dress. "I mean, they're keeping the park's name the same for crying out loud. Ain't no consistency anywhere, I tell ya."

Krillin nodded politely and forced a laugh, peeking from behind a large stack of boxes on the picnic table in front of him. He and 18 had agreed to accompany her and Gohan and little Goten, on a shopping trip, and he'd been deemed the designated pack mule once again..

18 had thought it a bit strange at first; if Gohan was with, why did she need help? After seeing the mountain of supplies and clothes being hauled along, however, she was quickly beginning to understand. Krillin had once told her that Saiyans had appetites that put even his own to shame, and the massive amounts of food certainly seemed to support that claim.

Still, she couldn't complain. She'd needed to pick out some new clothes as well, and her husband wasn't exactly the best person to ask on this particular excursion.

After all... he wasn't likely to know much about maternity clothes

Her gaze shifted to Gohan, pulling faces and making strange noises at the overalls-clad, spiky-haired toddler in his lap. Goten clapped and giggled and tried his best to copy his older brother, only to make himself laugh harder. She smiled at the sight, wondering if her child would be so bubbly.

Her child. Krillin's child. _Their_ child. To learn they even _could_ have children had been incredible in and of itself. When they'd learned they were to be parents, that their child was already on the way, they'd been ecstatic.

At least, initially. After a bit, however, a realization had dawned over the both of them. They had no idea how to be parents. Neither she nor Krillin even remembered their parents. The closest they'd had were Gero and Roshi, and... well, one was a monster, the other not exactly an ideal role model.

It was scary to them. And this, in part, was another reason they'd agreed to this trip. It was nice to get their minds off things for a bit.

"Something on your mind?"

At least, it _was_ nice.

"Yeah,.Chi-Chi. Just... thinking about some things, is all."

The other woman leaned forward. "Is it anything I can maybe help you with?"

"Well..." Krillin spoke up. "We're-ah... we're expecting, actually. We're gonna be parents." He placed a hand behind his head. "Found out about it earlier this week."

"Oh my goodness, that's wonderful!" Chi-Chi practically had stars in her eyes, zipping all over the place. "Why didn't you tell me before we got the groceries? We need to get you to the mall! There's baby clothes, maternity clothes, a crib-well, I suppose I could give you Goten's old one, it's still super sturdy, oh my gosh!"

"Congratulations, you guys." Gohan smiled, patting a now-sleepy little boy resting on his shoulder.

"Thanks," Krillin replied, and 18 allowed a small smile.

Gohan's eyes went wide, and he stood quickly, being careful not to disturb his baby brother. "Hey mom, they have a bookstore over there! Can I go look for something real quick?"

"Sure hon, but try to hurry. We gotta get all these back and then mommy and your auntie have to go do some baby planning~!" Chi-Chi was practically floating while 18 did her best not to cringe. She'd been touched, really, about how accepting Goku's wife had been of her, the whole 'I was trying to help hunt down your husband' thing notwithstanding, but she hated when Chi-Chi referred to her to her sons as "auntie". It made her sound so old. And 18 was most definitely _not_ old.

"Here, can you hold him for a bit, please?" Gohan stood in front of her, offering her a tired little bundle. Goten yawned slightly and reached.

18 hesitated for a moment before reaching up and taking the little boy and resting him against her shoulder. He leaned back a bit to look at the owner of this new perch, and giggled before nestling against her, ready to resume his nap. She looked over to the table and couldn't help but notice her husband watching her, a dreamy smile on his face.

It was nice, she had to admit. Very nice.

"Sooo," Chi-Chi began, "since this is gonna be the first time for both of you, I think it's time we have 'the talk'."

18 smirked. "I think we're well past that at this point, given the baby and all."

Chi-Chi giggled. "Not _that_ talk, obviously. I mean.. well... about parenting."

18 and Krillin both shot each other a nervous look. Could she have known? Did something give it away?

Krillin stood. "Uh... well, while you two chat, I think I better stretch the ol' legs for a bit. Hah, with any luck it might stick and I'll grow an inch or two." He laughed nervously before bolting to the other end of the park.

18 sighed and hung her head. "I swear, sometimes I think I already have a child."

"Oh that's rather normal, unfortunately." Chi-Chi sighed. "Men tend to try to avoid talking about this sort of thing. Feelings make them nervous."

"Krillin's never really been one to hide them though. Not from me, at least."

Chi-Chi pursed her lips. "He's just trying to calm himself down, I think. He did this a few times when he'd come to visit and I'd ask him when he was getting married too. Poor man was worried sick he'd never so much as get a girl to look at him." She motioned to 18's belly. "Obviously not much of an issue anymore, but.."

18 chuckled. "It's hard _not_ to look sometimes."

The two sat in silence for a bit before 18 spoke up.

"The thing is... we're nervous. Scared, y'know? I mean..." she struggled to put things as delicately as possible. "Well, neither of us really know our parents. Krillin's basically ditched him as a child. Me... I have no memory of mine at all, even if I wanted them. No memory of a life before, even."

"Hmm. And has that been a source of stress for you?"

18 shook her head. "Not really, no. I made my peace with that fact a few years ago. My life is here and now, with him. The past is just that." She bit her lip. "I just don't really know... I'm not sure I'm cut out to be someone's mother."

Chi-Chi shifted positions to better look at her friend. "How so?"

"Well like I said... I've never really had an example of it. Not sure I can run off of just some vague sense of instinct and whatnot. Besides, I know I can be a bit ornery at times. I still have to catch myself with Krillin sometimes, and when I don't I try to make it up later. It's hard enough seeing myself do that with him; how much harder is that going to be on a child?"

Chi-Chi placed a hand on the other woman's free shoulder. "That's a really rough feeling, I know. Believe it or not, I know how you feel." 18 raised an eyebrow at her. "When I was very young, my mother died too. I only really had faint memories and photos of her, and even most of those were lost in a fire in my father's castle."

"Oh. I'm sorry, I hadn't been aware."

"It's no big deal," she said. "You couldn't have known. But I went through similar when I learned I was having Gohan too. I wasn't exactly super ladylike back then." Chi-Chi was gradually becoming more animated, her voice deepening as she went on. "I enjoyed getting out there with the boys, fighting, watching with glee as I dominated them and reveled in their frustration of being beaten by "just a dumb girl"!..." She cleared her throat as 18 stared, wide-eyed. "Goodness, I got a bit carried away there. But yes, I wasn't sure I'd be the best mother in the world, and Goku was always a bit aloof and air headed, and I wasn't sure he was ready to be a dad either.."

Goten started to stir a bit and 18 shushed him, gently patting his back and rocking him slightly until he was back to sleep. "So then... what happened."

"Well, she smiled, "our little boy came! And the first time I held him, I knew I wanted to protect him, to do what was best for him, make sure he had a good life and could provide for his family some day... that's the instinct bit. The rest, I read books, I spoke with people I knew who'd had children, I even consulted with my old nanny for advice."

She held up a finger. "That's one thing to remember, never be afraid to ask someone for help or advice. No one is perfect at raising a kid, even so-called experts disagree on how best to do it, and different methods work on different kids."

"So... I can call and ask you about things then?"

"Of course!" Chi-Chi was beaming. "I'd be honored to be your go-to consultant!"

18 smiled. "Thanks. That... actually helps me feel a bit better, honestly. I just wish Krillin were here to hea-" A loud cry echoed across the park and 18 and Chi-Chi turned to see a little girl under a tree, crying and pointing to the branches.

"Someone, help! My kite got stuck!" Krillin turned to see a little girl under a nearby tree, pointing up in distress at a bright blue kite trapped in the branches, in danger of being potentially skewered. 'Oh man...'

He trotted over to the tree quickly. "Hey hey, kiddo, no worries. I can help, you, ok?"

The little girl sniffled ans wiped her eyes. "Y-you can?"

He grinned. "Sure can. I'll have that sucker down in a jiffy, no worse for wear. Promise." He turned and looked at the tree, trying to find any natural handholds. Normally he'd have just zipped up and grabbed it for her, but 18 had wanted to keep a low profile and have as normal a life as possible, and the Cell Games rather necessitated they all maintain a low profile besides unless they wanted to be the center of a media circus.

Finding what he deemed a suitable starting point, he gripped the tree and began a rapid ascent, almost leaping from one handhold to the next until he reached and mounted the long branch. He crawled along it quickly, until he reached the point where the kite was nestled among the long, spindly points of the twigs at the end. He'd have to be careful here; too much push in either direction would result in the paper being potentially skewered or shredded. He reached slowly, carefully, and...

A sudden gust of wind blew in from the east, roughly shoving the little blue kite from its place of safety. Without so much as a second though, using all his speed, he snapped forward and grabbed it, stopping it just shy of the sharp points on the branch, his arms wrapping around it protectively as he thudded down onto the ground below.

"MY KITE!" The little girl ran to him fast as she could, her pigtails trailing behind her in the breeze. She snatched it up and hugged it close. "Thank you so much mister!" Her happy smile faded when she looked down and noted the scratches on his arms and face. "Oh no! You're bleedin', mister!"

Krillin sat up and forced a strained laugh. "That's okay, kiddo. Don't worry about me." He rubbed his ribs and tried to catch his breath. "I've been skewered by a lot bigger before. This is nothin'." A small pair of arms wrapped around him, and Krillin smiled.

"Thank you so much mister!" The girl stood and ran back toward the playground. "Bye!"

"Buhbye, kid! Be careful now!" He rubbed the scratches on his arm and started back toward the picnic area where his wife waited, a warm smile on her face.

* * *

"Hiya, hon. I'm back. Kid had a kite in the tree and I sorta helped."

"I saw. Nice work." She smirked. "Especially the graceful dismount."

Krillin sat back down at the table and turned to Chi-Chi. "So, uh... yeah. About earlier..."

"Krillin, you, of all people, don't need to worry about being a good dad." Chi-Chi smiled at him. "Gohan told me about the things you did for him on that Namek planet. You took care of him for over a month, you regularly visit and play with him and heck," she gestured toward the tree. "You even do stuff like that for kids you've never so much as met. You're a natural."

Krillin averted his eyes, blushing. "Y-you really think so?"

18 nodded in agreement, her smile still bigger than he thought he'd ever seen before. "Mhmm. You've def got good dad qualities." There was a certain twinkle in here yes, however, that gave him goosebumps.

It was then he noticed Goten's sleeping form, nestled comfortably on his wife's shoulder, a serene and happy look gracing his features. "Well it looks to me like somebody's gonna be a natural mom too." It was his wife's turn to blush and he laughed.

"He's right though," Chi-Chi agreed. "Goten certainly does love to be held by you, and it's very unusual for him to trust anyone but Gohan and me enough to sleep on them. You must have a pretty calming presence to children." She looked back to Krillin. "And like I said before, if you ever have any questions, don't be afraid to ask me." She puffed out her chest. "I've handled two Saiyan boys after all, so I _think_ I'm qualified to advice."

Krillin was still mesmerized by the sight of 18 holding Goten, unable to look away from her or that gleam in her eye. "Uh-huh. We'll be sure to do that."

"I'm back!" Gohan came sprinting across the park with a bag in his hand. "Sorry it took me a while to find this, but I wanted to get you guys something."

"Aww, thanks bud." Krillin took the bag from his hands. "You didn't have to."

"That's okay, I wanted to! I just want one thing in return." He put his hands behind his back and grinned. "When your baby's born, you gotta bring it to visit with you."

18 chuckled. "Sure thing, kiddo. So what's in the bag?"

Krillin reached inside and lifted out a small book of baby names. "Oh, thanks Gohan. That's actually gonna be pretty helpful."

"Can I see it?" 18 asked. Chi-Chi stood and allowed him to sit next to his wife as he flipped the book open to a random page. "Hmm." She furrowed her brow.

"You know," Krillin said, "it never really occurred to me how many names seem to have their origin in food. Odd, that."

"Kinda, yeah." 18 agreed, handing Goten back to his mother. She peeked over at her husband as the situation dawned on her. The nervousness was still there, but nowhere near as strong. They were finally able to fully embrace the news for the first time since they'd been told. And there they were, looking for baby names for their child. The child they made together. She felt that familiar warmth in her cheeks.

Krillin was halfway through the C's when he felt his wife's hand caress his cheek and lift his face away from the book to look her in the eyes again. That gleam was back, stronger than ever, and the goosebumps came back with it. "I love you," she said.

"I love you too," he replied, as she gently pulled him in for a lingering kiss.

Chi-Chi cleared her throat. "Gohan, sweetie, stop staring and start loading the groceries in the car, please. We'll be heading home on our own, I think."

Gohan carefully lifted the stack of boxes and crates from the picnic table. "I thought you and 18 were supposed to go shopping for more stuff later.

Chi-Chi smiled as the couple left the park, hand-in hand, 18 resting her head atop Krillin's. "We can do that tomorrow. Right now, I think they'd like to be alone."

* * *

In the air over the open ocean, 18 and Krillin flew back to their home, hand in hand. Krillin felt so happy he could burst. He was gonna be a dad! A good dad! Shoot, probably the best ever, if he had anything to say about it! And he was having a child with the most wonderful, beautiful woman in the world.

Without so much as a word, he pulled down a bit and swooped up behind her, putting on an extra bit of speed to scoop her up into his arms, carrying her bridal-style through the air.

"Honey, not that I'm one to complain when you act on your urges, but what's the occasion?" She smirked and raised an eyebrow.

Krillin shrugged. "I just don't want the mother of my child to strain herself or anything. Gotta protect the baby and all."

18 smiled and felt her cheeks go flush once again. Ordinarily she'd have picked on him relentlessly for this sort of thing, but given the occasion, she opted to allow it, wrapping her arms around his neck, nuzzling into its crook. "Hmm, I see. Well, I suppose we can't be _too_ careful, can we?"

"No, ma'am."

18 smiled at him again, the gleam once again returning to her eye. "We should celebrate when we get home. We never did get to do that, after all..."

Krillin blushed and swallowed hard. "O-oh yeah, you think so? What's you have in mind?" His wife leaned in closer, whispering into his ear.

And on that day, Krillin reached Kame House in record time.

* * *

 _Welp, that's it for this entry. But it's not the last update for this particular collection. Not by a long shot, folks._

 _Hope you all enjoyed, and please leave a review if you did. I love getting feedback. See ya!_


	6. Something More

**Something More**

 _'_ _This is so stupid. I shouldn't be the nervous one here.'_

18 paced back and forth on the beach in front of the Kame house, absentmindedly tugging at the pearl necklace she wore. It was a calm evening. The sun hung low in the horizon as a gentle ocean breeze swept by, and yet the blonde cyborg felt as if there was a storm raging in her chest as she paced, left arm across her chest, supporting the right currently rolling the smooth pearls between her fingers, lost in thought about a certain roommate who resided right across the hall from her.

Krillin had been a good friend to her, she'd told him as much many times. Always putting her needs before his wants, willing to spend time with her and watch a movie, play video games, and here she smirked at the memory of his first experience dealing with her raging over losing, dropping the control when she'd demanded a rematch, finger in his face, breathing intensely. He'd looked so nervous and unsure, yet still he'd consented, and kept keeping her company even after.

Her smirk faded into a thoughtful frown. Even after that, after she'd lose her temper with him and snap sometimes, even after... she cringed slightly, remembering that black eye she'd given him when he walked in on her when he heard her crying in her room one night. Even after she'd hit him, screamed at him that he'd never understand what it meant to have these nightmares, this pain and trauma, to lose your name, your identity, to watch your brother be taken by a monster and be hunted by it, he'd stayed with her. He'd shared some of his own and assured her that even if he couldn't know exactly what had happened to her, he understood her pain.

 _'He's been so good to me. Even when I didn't deserve it.'_ She gripped and tugged at the pearls again. His kindness had moved her, yes, but it was its persistence, its unconditional status, his genuine care that had one day made things... change. She'd dropped her rigidity and distant nature, often ribbing him when given the chance. She'd noticed he was quite handsome and well-built, and it sometimes created a strange, foreign feeling in the pit of her stomach. She'd found the blush that would creep over his face when she wore her shorts or swimsuit flattering rather than annoying, and more than that... she felt sad when those things were gone. Whenever he was away, she felt lonely, only for a genuine happiness to well back up when he'd return.

18 tugged a few more times as she sighed. "There's no getting around it. I have to tell him-"

"Tell me what?"

18's eyes widened at the unexpected sound, and jumped a bit, causing her to tug a bit too hard on the string of pearls as they fell away with a snap. She gasped as they hit the sand, one by one, some of them disappearing even as an audibly distressed Krillin rushed to collect them, apologizing profusely.

"Nonono, God I am SO sorry, 18. I didn't mean to scare you." 18 rubbed her temples for a moment and breathed deeply.

"It's ok. Really. It was just an old necklace I picked up somewhere." She looked down to see Krillin still scurrying around the beach, his black trunks coated with sand. "K-Krillin, it's fine."

"B-but..." he sighed and stood, brushing off sand. "I'm sorry, 18. I shouldn't have snuck up on you like that. I know you don't like it when people do tha-" he was silenced by a finger on his lips.

"I told you, it's _fine_. Now will you let me get a word in?" He nodded silently. "Finally. Damn."

She placed her hands on his bare shoulders and took in a breath. "I'm... not really sure how to say this, but..." She looked him in the eyes, trying to hide her nerves. "We've been friends for a couple of years now, and... it's been great, yeah?"

He nodded and smiled and she had to push the butterflies back down to continue. "Better than great, really. I mean, we have fun together, we hang out all the time, sure, and it means so much to me that we do that, _keep_ doing that."

"Well yeah." he grinned at her. "You're my best friend, 18. I'd never take that for granted."

18 swallowed hard. " _But..."_ She saw Krillin's eyes widen and a slight fear creep in. "No, nothing bad, I just..." she sighed. "I want... _more."_

Krillin cocked his head slightly and arched an eyebrow. "More? More time?" He chuckled. "We already spend practically all day together. You want nights now too?"

18 hung her head between her arms, a vein threatening to pop. "You can be so dense sometimes..." She raised her head up to look him in the eye once more. "What I'm trying to say is I like you, you little goon!" She averted her eyes and her voice softened. "I like you a lot, ok? More than I ever thought I would."

Krillin smiled again and patted the top of her head. "Well I like you a lot too, 18. That's why we're friends, ain't it?"

18's arms fell to her sides and she stood, silent. She wasn't quite sure what to call this new feeling washing over her; a mix of frustration, hurt, anger, and a deep sadness welled up inside her gut. Her fists clenched instinctively and she took a shaky breath.

"You... IDIOT."

Krillin's eyes went wide and he took a step back, hands up in defense. "Wait, what- 18 why are you crying? What's wrong? What'd I do?"

"What did you DO? I just confessed my deepest feelings to you and you act like it's some kind of joke?!" She stomped a foot into the sand. "If you weren't interested in me like that, you could have just said so!"

Krillin's hands slowly dropped. "Wait... interested like...what?" His voice grew quiet. "You mean you _weren't_ talking about staying friends?"

18 smacked her forehead. "God, yes, octopus head, of course I want to be friends still, I just... I want something _more_ _than that!_ " She threw her hands up. "I want hand-holding, kisses, I wanna cuddle under the stupid blanket when we watch movies, I wanna go on _dates_ with you. _Real ones!_ Not these dumb 'shopping dates' or whatever they're called!" She started toward the house. "God I feel like such a damn fool..."

"18, wait!" A hand reached out and grabbed hers and she stopped, rigid. She wanted to fight, to hit him, to run away, but something about that hand and the urgency with which it had grabbed hers compelled her to listen. "I'm... I'm an even bigger moron than I thought, aren't I?"

She scoffed. "Won't get no argument from me."

He frowned. "I'm sorry, 18. It's just... I mean, I'm... me. Y'know?"She spared him a glance over her shoulder. "I mean, I'm just... I never thought anyone would be interested in me like that, especially not someone like you."

She shook his hand from hers and turned around. "Why? Too _cold_? Too _mean_? Not _human_ enough?"

"Hey, that's not fair and you know it. Dammit, you _know_ I don't think that way about you!" Krillin's voice was shaky now, his eyes fighting back tears of their own. "It's because you're amazing, ok? You-you're so beautiful, so elegant... you've got the most beautiful smile, the most perfect laugh..."

18 felt her face flush and that previous feeling begin to subside. "Pfft, then what's the problem?"

"It's _me."_ Krillin's hands were visibly shaking now, and 18 noticed he was avoiding eye contact. "I mean... look at me. I'm not cool, I'm not the strongest... I'm not what people consider attractive... I know I have my issues and quirks that can be annoying, too much of my own baggage." He took a deep, shuddering breath and finally looked her in the eye, tears flowing freely. "I was so lucky someone like you even wanted me for a friend. I didn't wanna risk that. So when you told me that, I just assumed... I thought you were trying to let me down easy, y'know? Preemptively turn me down before I asked." He hung his head again.

"I never once thought anyone could care for me like that, and I... I guess I let that fear keep me from asking if that's what you wanted. And I'm sor-" Krillin found himself cut short as his face was smashed firmly into 18's shoulder, her arms wrapped tightly around him in a hug.

"It's ok," she whispered. "I was scared too. I'm sorry." She pulled back to look him in the eye once more. "I just want you with me so much. I want to be with _you_ so much..." she smiled and pecked him on the cheek.

Krillin flushed crimson and smiled through his tears. "S-so does that mean _you're_ asking _me_ to be your boyfriend?"

18 rolled her eyes a bit and nodded. "Yeah," she laughed. "I guess I am."

Krillin beamed. "Well then, who am I to say no?" he laughed. "Besides, it's not often you get to date your best friend."

She slipped her hand in his. "C'mon, shorty. It's getting cold and there's a blanket with our name on it inside."

"Awesome." They made their way toward the door. "Say... will there be kisses involved with this."

18 smiled and feigned disinterest. "Oh I dunno. Mayyybe... if you play your cards ri-woah! Slow up!"

"Hell yeah!"

* * *

 _ **Special thanks to puptriarchy for beta-ing this for me.**_


	7. Splitting Hairs

Chestnut Fest 2018: Day 1  
Prompt: Aging

 _ **Well, here we are, chestnutisland's K18 Week is upon us! Hoping y'all enjoy the week, hoping to see some great submissions from folks too!**_

Prompt for this one was "Aging". Decided to fight the temptation to do angst and keep this one light-hearted. Hope you guys like it. Short and sweet.

* * *

"Aw crud, not another one."

Krillin stood in front of his bathroom mirror, turtle pajamas ruffled, holding onto yet another gray hair. He swore the universe was out to get him. Not more than a few days ago, his hair was its normal, natural silky black self, nary a split end or discoloration in sight. And now, today, there were three in total.

On his 40th birthday.

He groaned. It was bad enough that he'd find himself waking up a bit sore after intense workout days again. As if he'd needed another reason to feel old!

He felt a light touch trace his shoulder. "Something wrong, birthday boy?"

He sighed. 18 was the world to him, one of the two most important people in his life, the best partner and friend he could have asked for.

She was also, to his current chagrin, seemingly eternally youthful, unlike himself. Brittle, falling apart...

"Hey, babe." He leaned upward and placed a kiss on her cheek, earning a small smile. "Nah, I was just checking the damage."

18 arched an eyebrow. "Damage? You didn't hurt yourself or anything, did you?"

"No, no. Not this time," he chuckled. "Just getting old is all. Not rebounding as quickly as I used to and... I found a few gray hairs." His brow furrowed at his wife's barely suppressed laughter. "Well at least one of us finds me turning into an old man amusing."

18 wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his. "I'm sorry, honey, it's just... it's gray hairs. You've found them before."

He hung his head. "Yeah well... I wasn't 40 then. I wasn't becoming ancient while you stay young and beautiful and people shoot you and Marron weird looks for being with some ol' fart like me."

18 scoffed. "And you really think I give a damn about what those people think?"

"I know you don't, I just.." He rested a hand on the sink. "I feel bad sometimes is all. And then there was that really awkward meeting with Marron's teacher, the whole 'how old were you when she was born, blink twice if he took you as a child' deal..."

"Krillin, look at me." 18 cupped his cheek, tilting his face toward her. "You know I love you, and Marron does too. Just because we had a child later in life than a lot of people doesn't mean a thing. Marron adores you and brags about you constantly," 18 smiled and ruffled his hair. "And I think you're kinda neat too."

She leaned down and pecked his cheek and smiled at the blush that still crept across his face. "Now you go on downstairs. I'll be down soon and then we can go celebrate."

"Mmkay." Krillin stood on his tip-toes and returned the kiss, noting with some amusement he wasn't the only one who still turned a shade of red. "I'll get the ol' shoes on and start the car."

He got about halfway down the stairs when he heard a cry of distress from the bathroom. Spinning on his heel, he double timed it back and shoved the door open. "Babe, are you oka-" He froze as he noticed 18 holding up two fallen strands, staring in shock.

"I have... g-gray... hairs..."

Krillin patted her on the back and grinned. "What's wrong, honey? They're _just_ some gray hairs."

* * *

That night, Krillin found himself on the couch, staring blankly at the ceiling, listening to the serenade of the chirping crickets.

"Well. At least _I_ can appreciate the irony."

* * *

 **Well that's it for the first entry! Hope y'all have an amazing week! And if you guys wanna participate, go check out the particulars on the chestnutisland tumblr blog.**


	8. PDA (Public Displays of Annoyance)

Chestnut Fest Day 2  
Prompt: Sharing Food

 **Time for day two! I was originally going to try the anniversary prompt today but was struggling to start. Meanwhile, a cute little scenario popped in my head and so... here we are. Sharing food time!**

With special appearances by Bulma and Chi-Chi. (audible crowd gasps)  
Hope you enjoy.

* * *

"It's disgusting!"

Chi-Chi giggled. "Oh Bulma, don't be like that. I think they're adorable."

The heiress crossed her arms over her chest and huffed. "It's so shameless. And at _my_ party, no less!"

Today had been intended by Bulma to be her day. Capsule Corp, under her leadership, had just acquired one of the largest luxury air car manufacturers in the world. Therefore, it was only logical to allow all her friends to bask in her glory and congratulate her; a party was in order!

Unfortunately for her, she hadn't counted on her seating chart placing her directly across from the two newest lovebirds. Krillin and the Android girl were in plain sight; giggling, kissing, the girl resting her head on his, half in his lap, no less! And all this stealing attention meant for her accomplishment.

And, she reluctantly admitted, making her feel just the tiniest bit jealous.

Chi-Chi rested her cheek on her palm and swooned. "I remember being newly in love. Such a wonderful, happy feeling."

Bulma looked away and pouted. "Well the least they could do is cut out the PDA. It's entirely inappropriate in this scenario." She grabbed her glass from the table and took a sip.

Chi-Chi's brow curled upward and she cocked her head. "Ah, Bulma, are you sure that's the reason you're upset?" She smirked a bit. " _I_ think you might just be a little bit _jealous_ that Vegeta doesn't do these things for you."

Bulma spat her drink and stood, fists balled at her sides. "That's ridiculous, I am _not_ jealous of that Android girl _or_ her relationship, thank you very much! Besides, I don't exactly recall _GOKU_ getting all romantic in public with _you_ either!"

Chi-Chi smiled into her teacup. "Nope, he didn't. But I also came to accept that long ago. Goku's wasn't really normal with his expressions of affection, and if that's indeed a Saiyan thing, it stands to reason Vegeta would be the same, doesn't it?"

She gestured to the couple down the yard. "Krillin's a normal person, Bulma, like you or me. He's gonna be more openly affectionate, he's gonna have those early-relationship butterflies, the giggles, the silly phone conversations. And he's been blessed to find someone after waiting for so long. Can't you just be happy for your friend?"

Bulma stood silently, appearing to give it some thought. Seeing 18 feed him yet another piece of chicken off her fork, however, seemed to push her over the edge. "Nope. Nope, I've gotta say something right now."

She stomped across the yard, ignoring Chi-Chi's plea not to make a scene, and came face to face with the couple, giggling in secret, no doubt over something stupid and sappy. Something pointless they both found amusing in their endorphin-infused state.

Krillin was the first to look up and notice her presence. "Oh, hey Bulma!" he beamed at her. "Really great party you've got here. Looks like a lot of people wanted to come congratulate you on your big business deal, huh? Oh yeah," he grinned raised his glass to her, wrapping his arm around his date's waist. "Congratulations on the big deal!"

Bulma's gaze shifted briefly to the blonde with him. She too was smiling broadly and nodded. "Congratulations, Bulma. Krillin was gushing over this all morning. Seems he's quite proud of his friends and what they've accomplished."

Bulma hesitated. She's come over fully intent on telling them off, stopping their excessive canoodling on her lawn, but... seeing that girl so friendly... seeing Krillin smile like that...

He was the happiest she'd seen him in... well... ever.

"T-thank you both. I'm glad you decided to come..." she grinned. "And _super_ glad you finally brought your girlfriend over, Krillin." She punched him lightly in the shoulder. "You two should come by more often. I could use the distraction, and I've got all sorts of questions for-uh..." She looked at the blonde. "What name do you go by?"

"Just 18 is fine," she replied. "And I'm not so sure about swinging by too often, I'm afraid. Things still aren't so good between me and, uh-" she gestured to the side of the lawn with a nod "Mr. Grumpy Monkey over there." She smirked. "I kinda almost get the feeling he doesn't like me being here."

Bulma turned to see Vegeta standing across the lawn, shooting 18 a death glare even as he stuffed his face. "Oh, Vegeta. Yeah, don't worry too much about him, I keep him in check." She grinned. "If he wants that gravity room to stay in anything close to working order, he won't dare misbehave." She looked over and shouted. "Will you, Vegeta? Don't raise your eyebrows at me, I know you can hear us over there." Vegeta mumbled something and started shuffling toward the buffet tables. "I better go see if I can't soothe mister ego before he decides to go pout somewhere. Take care. Oh, and Krillin?" she smiled softly. "I really am happy for you guys. Congratulations. I mean it."

Krillin returned the smile and pulled 18 a little closer. "Thanks, Bulma. Means a lot, coming from you."

* * *

Once she was out of earshot, Krillin smirked at 18. "See? I told you she wouldn't blow up at us. Now you owe me 50 Zeni."

18 scoffed. "Yeah, yeah. I guess she's not as bad as she seems. For someone who built a remote designed to rob me of my person-hood again."

"Aww babe, don't be like that, she felt it was our only option at the time."

"Yeah, yeah... truth be told I'd have done about anything to stop that bug too, I guess." He gave her a reassuring squeeze and she smiled.

Oh, uh..." he gestured to the empty seat next to him. "Did you wanna sit in your own chair now?"

18 thought for a second before laying her head back on his. "Mm, nah. I kinda like this seat better anyways."

* * *

 _ **I do love when 18 brings out Krillin's old mischievous side. :P Hope you liked it and thanks for reading.**_


	9. Every Cop Story Needs A Chase Scene!

Chestnut Fest Day 3  
Prompt: Frisky 

_**Ah, Day 3! It's time, once again, to return to a certain AU I created last year. Ol' Officer Big Unit is back! Though… with a slightly different tone.**_

 _ **Hope you enjoy!  
**_

* * *

"Lazuli, please, I need to get to work!"

"Guess you gotta catch me then, huh?"

Krillin scratched his head and sighed. He'd known this woman was a bit of a wild card when they'd entered their relationship a few weeks ago (in, he noted, a rather… _unorthodox_ manner), but sometimes she just drove him up the wall. First, came the days she'd show herself into his home late at night and the subsequent chasing out of various insects and assorted creatures of the night who followed her through the still-ajar windows, then came the _very_ inappropriate selfies and video messages while he was at work, and now…

Now she'd acquired a fondness for stealing part of his uniform and making him catch her to get it back. Today? His hat.

"Babe, PLEASE… If I'm late I could get written up again!"

Her voice echoed from the other side of the house this time. "Guess you better hurry then, hmm?"

He ran a hand through his hair and trotted toward the bathroom. "I know you think the hat is a dumb requirement hon, but I do have to wear the thi- _OOF_!" He found himself flat on his back as a blonde streak slammed right into him, knocking him to the floor and straddling him quickly.

Lazuli smirked down at him, blue eyes twinkling mischievously. "Alright then. I suppose I'll just have to save some time and catch _you._ " Krillin couldn't help but note his hat was planted atop her head, slightly askew due to being oversized for her.

'She looks super cute…' He shook his head a bit to keep out of the stupor she always put him in. "Alright, you win. But I need to get up and finish getting ready. You know I like to get there early and organize my paperwork."

Lazuli rolled her eyes. "Of course. How could I forget? A place for everything-"

"-and everything in its place, yes. It's what keeps me focused and on the ball." He tried to scoot from under her. "Can I please get up now?"

Lazuli stared at his face for a moment, studying him, like a cat with a new toy. She gently raised a hand to caress his face softly and smiled. "Sure thing, short stuff. But first…" she leaned down and pressed her lips to his, kissing him softly.

Krillin felt his face turn beet red as her lips moved against his. He'd had no real doubts Lazuli cared for him, but she often showed it in ways that were overtly sexual, more commanding and intense. Something this gentle, this pure… it was a recent development, but not at all unwelcome, and it made his heart flutter every time.

She finally pulled away from his lips and planted a soft kiss on his ear. "Be safe, love."

Krillin nodded, praying the red in his face would subside before work. "Y-yeah. I mean, will do. I promise." Lazuli flashed him a warm smile before finally standing, tossing his hat on the table as she helped him up before heading to the fridge.

Krillin boosted himself to his feet with a slight grunt, grabbed his hat and headed for the door before a mocking tone called to him. "Oh, officer~"

He looked back over his shoulder to see Lazuli standing there, feigning innocence, a Popsicle in hand. "Do please hurry back when you're done. I've got some-" she gave the pop a seductive lick and winked. "Plans for you tonight~."

Krillin gulped and nodded before hurrying out the door and down the walk to his car. Now he had two things he hoped faded before he got to work.

 _'That woman's really gonna be the end of me someday, I just know it.'_

* * *

 _ **And there we have it! I wanted to sorta establish this AU isn't completely sexualized here, and that it wasn't the sole source or core of their relationship. Lazuli genuinely fell for her little cop, even if he IS a little uptight. :P**_

 _ **Anywho, that's it for today. Catch**_ y'all _ **tomorrow!**_


	10. Beneath The Surface

Chestnut Fest Day 4  
Prompt: Scars

 _ **We're going full angst for today's prompt, which was scars. Honestly, kinda hard not to do.**_

 _ **We're also going slightly non-traditional with this one again in terms of format, so I do hope you still enjoy it.**_

* * *

18 and Krillin both had their share of scars.

More than once they'd noticed the marks on the other, tentatively asked about the source. A few times they'd refused to talk about it, not feeling ready to share that information, but eventually, the topic would come back up, the story told. 18 bore most of her scars in strategic places, the cuts of a skilled surgeon, some of them no longer even visible due to artificial skin, replacements meant to be more durable. They were hidden from everyone; well, everyone but her. She could still see them, trace them, even show him where to look for the faintest of marks until they were seen.

Krillin had typically been more open with most of his own scars. A scuff mark here, a cut eyebrow there, many with some semi-fond memories attached. He'd even told her, hesitantly, about the time he'd been impaled, how he had many scars that, even if not visible, were still fresh wounds in his memory. The scars he mostly kept quiet about, however, were his most prominent. 18 had asked him about the burn marks on his forehead, what they meant to him, what they symbolized; more often than not, he would go quiet and seem to lock up before changing the subject. When he'd finally told 18 his story, about his time in Orin and the memories he had of the place, he'd had to almost physically restrain her to keep her from wrecking the place. It was scary, he'd noted, but a bit touching.

Those, however, were just the scars that showed.

It was not uncommon for 18 to wake up in the middle of the night, flailing in a cold sweat, fighting off the monster who had once claimed her. Each time, Krillin found his way to her side, gently calming her and coaxing her back into reality, despite some harsh words (and more than one stray fist or kick) falling on him.

18 too would sometimes hear the small man sobbing at night, curled into a ball, asking whatever monster haunting his dreams to please stop, to leave him alone. She would gently shake him awake and whisper comfort to him, remind him he was not alone, that she was there and would keep him safe until he could finally drift off back to sleep again.

They knew they would be there for one another, could understand one another. Because despite being so different on the surface, deep down they knew...

They shared the same scars.

* * *

 _ **A little bit more somber than the rest of these, but I hope you still found some enjoyment in it. Tomorrow's should be a bit more upbeat.**_


	11. Hands Off!

Chestnut Fest Day 5  
Prompt: Jealousy

 _ **Time for Day 5! Hard to believe this event is over half over, huh? Today's prompt is Jealousy. Which means time for some Jealous 18!**_

Enjoy.

* * *

' _Skank!_ '

18 crossed her arms and leaned against the doorway of the shop, glaring at the associate feeling up her husband. They'd come here to get him fitted for a new suit. Some formal event at the station or something she was sure she'd have to attend too. Right now, she didn't care.

The moment they walked in and Krillin had asked to be fitted, some young pink-haired bimbo barely out of high school insisted on helping. And worse, she was _all over him_! Batting her eyes at him, making pretty unsubtle innuendo ("Oh, is this for the orchestra? Are you a musician? I bet your fingering is excellent!") And she.. she was touching him! Running her hands on him, squeezing his biceps and making comments on their size and taking notes!

...Okay, maybe she was just taking his measurements and making conversation, but those were _HER_ muscles to fondle, dammit! Thankfully it was almost over. And they could leave. And get away from that busty trollop.

 _'...She probably stuffs her bra anyways.'_

* * *

"Hon, is something bothering you?" Krillin reached back and set their bags in the back seat. "You haven't really said much since we left the suit shop."

18 stared ahead, a slight scowl still on her face. "I'm fine."

He raised an eyebrow. "Oh come on, I'm not _that_ dense. I know when something has you upset." he placed his hands on the wheel. "Not that you're ever really made much of a secret of that I gue-" He felt her glare on him and immediately shrunk into his seat. "I mean, I just know you really well and we communicate easily and I wasn't saying you have a bad temper please don't make me sleep on the couch tonight."

18 smacked the dashboard. "That girl. That girl in the store, ok? She was being flirty and way too friendly..." Her hand balled into a fist. "She had her hands all over you... it made me..."

"Jealous?" He tossed his hands in the air as her eyes snapped back to him. "I'm just guessing!"

18 sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Yeah. Yeah, jealous, I guess."

Krillin placed a hand on her shoulder. "Babe, she was just taking my measurements for a suit, that's all. It's not like she was hitting on me or gave me her number or anything."

"I know. I guess that's what I'm more upset about. That this kinda stuff still gets to me." She put her hand over his. "All these years later and I still get a little paranoid about someone taking you away from me."

Krillin leaned over and pecked her cheek. "Well I promise, I'm not going anywhere. You're stuck with me for an indeterminate number of years. Or until you get sick of me. Whichever comes first."

18 smiled. "You're such a dweeb."

"Oh, your wedding vows, that takes me bac-ah!" he grinned and rubbed the spot she'd just flicked him.

"By the way," she said, "I hope you didn't have any plans for tonight."

His brow arched upward in confusion. "Whyzzat?"

"Because tonight, I'm gonna make a point of making sure the only touch you remember... is mine."

Krillin gulped audibly. "I am both very aroused and completely terrified."

18 smiled. "Good. You should be."

* * *

 **That was a fun one to write. Hopefully it was fun for you folks as well. Onward to tomorrow!**


	12. Stay

Chestnut Fest Day 6  
Prompt: Friends to Lovers

 _ **Friends to Lovers time~! It's one of the things I love about these two. Such a cute trope. Let's get right to it!**_

* * *

She wasn't really sure when it had happened.

It had all started innocently enough. She came to him seeking a place to stay, taking up his offer of hospitality to get some space from her brother. He'd just smiled and nodded and shown her to a room, assured her that if she needed anything, she need only ask and he'd do his best to make it happen.

Perhaps that was what had done it. The constant offers of help, of friendship. The nights he'd comfort her when she'd had a particularly bad nightmare, the days when he'd sit there and indulge her desire to pummel him endlessly in a game she knew he wasn't good at, yet he still did it without complaint. The way he'd pushed her to socialize, make friends, and didn't try at all to monopolize her time or attention.

Perhaps it was seeing him act so selflessly for not only her but Goku's family. The man she'd been made to kill, she noted with irony. And even then he'd brought her into their home, introduced her to Goku's wife. To her second friend. She'd been there when Gohan would explain something new he'd read to Krillin with wide-eyed wonder, as Krillin did his best to follow along and be involved, ask him questions, encourage his interests. She'd been there when the new baby came, the one named Goten, and saw him hold the boy so gently, volunteering to babysit and even do overnights so Chi-Chi could finally get some sleep.

Or maybe it was the times she'd lose her temper, yell at him, threaten him, only for him to stand his ground and still tell her she was wrong. To push her to not let her emotions control her. Maybe it was the night he'd opened up to her and shared with her his own problems, his struggles, and why he fought to not give in to them, the scars resulting from it.

18 wasn't sure what lead her to grab Krillin's wrist as he'd left for his own room that night, but she certainly knew in her heart why she'd guided him back to her bed.

"Stay with me. Not... not just tonight, either. Please."

Android 18 had fallen in love with her best friend.

* * *

 _ **Another shortie, hope that's ok for y'all. Catch you again for the big finale of the Chestnut Fest: K18 Day!**_


	13. Sick Day

Chestnut Fest Day 7  
Prompt: Free Space

 _ **Well, here we are, K18 Day! And unfortunately, I managed to catch a bit of a flu bug. No matter though, it actually kinda makes today's entry rather fitting. Funny how life works like that.**_

 _ **Hope you enjoy.**_

* * *

Marron was sick.

18 frowned as she shook the thermometer. She wasn't sick in any serious sort of way, sure; she had a low fever and a bit of a stomach ache and that was it-but still! Her little girl was in pain and discomfort and she wanted nothing more than to beat the ever-loving hell out of whoever or whatever was causing it. Unfortunately, that wasn't really an option.

Also unfortunately, Marron wasn't the only one 18 had to watch out for.

If 18 had been upset to find Marron sick, Krillin had been downright inconsolable. He immediately went into a panic mode, pulling down the first aid kit, looking for every immune booster he could find, even trying to call in sick to work. On his first day on patrol. ("She needs her DAD too, 18! Our baby is sick! How can you worry about something as petty as keeping the lights on at a time like this?)"She swore to him, right hand raised, that she'd keep him updated on their daughter's condition and half-shove him out the door.

That hadn't stopped him from constantly checking in, however.

On the phone.  
"18, how's Marron? Is she ok? It's been almost an hour, I'm getting worried!"

On his breaks.  
"Psst. 18. It's me, in the bushes. I got a ten-minute break so I ran here as fast as I could. Is she feeling better? I brought soup!"

And even when passing by on patrol, she'd catch him driving by very slowly, trying his best to peer into the window.

She sighed. She couldn't really be mad at him about it; she'd probably do the same, after all. Hell, even as it was, it hurt her to have to see their daughter's tiny frame, normally so energetic and full of joy, curled up under a blanket, frowning in her sleep. Every time she spoke in that wavering voice, asking for some water, it killed her. But she couldn't imagine having to be separated from her for an entire da-

The door slammed open "18! THEY LET ME OFF EARLY SO I GOT SOMETHING!" a rapid set of footfalls later and Krillin stood in the doorway, panting, with a rather noticeable hole in the front of his helmet.

18 raised an eyebrow. "What happened?"

"Turns out some people don't like parking tickets so he kinda shot me in the head."

"...A-are you ok?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, fine, but y'know... protocol and priorities." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bean. "ANYWAYS, I had some spare time so I ran to Korin's place and-"

18 stood quickly. "A Senzu?! This'll help her?"

"Well, it should. Helped me after we had to try some of Tien's cooking anyways." Krillin sat down on the bed and gently shook their daughter. "Hey, sweetheart. Papa's home."

Marron groggily opened an eye and groaned. "Papa... tummy hurts..."

Krillin was already fighting back tears. "I know, baby. Pap brought you home something that'll help, but you gotta try to eat it, ok?" 18 bit her lip as Marron nodded, opening her mouth slightly. He quickly inserted it and she chewed slowly, almost gagging.

"Nono, sweetheart, gotta chew fast and swallow." 18 coaxed. Marron sped up her chewing and swallowed, sitting up as if to throw up, when-

"Ohh woooow." Marron's eyes went wide and she blinked a few times. "I feel all better!" She grinned and threw herself into her dad's arms. "Thank you, Papa!" She beamed. "And Mama!"

18 smiled and hugged her little family. "You're welcome, baby. I'm glad you're feeling all better."

"Mhm!" She smiled. "Can I have some water though? I'm really thirsty."

"Sure, honey. I'll be right back." 18 headed toward the kitchen.

Marron picked up her dad's helmet and marveled at the bullet hole there. "WOAH, Papa, what happened to your safe hat?"

"Well, Firefly, some people just really don't like having to pay for breaking the ru-"

A loud retching sound came from down the hall. "Oh, Godda-blaaagh."

Krillin and Marron both winced. "Uhoh. Mama's sick now."

Krillin sighed. "Stay here with your mommy sweetheart. Daddy's off to get another bean."

* * *

"Good morning, Mama!"

18 groaned and stretched, sitting up in bed. There was barely even sunlight peeking through the curtains. "Marron? What are you doing up so early, sweetheart?"

She smiled brightly and lifted the tray she was carrying above her head. "I made you breakfast!"

18 frowned. "You know you're not supposed to mess with kitchen appliances, Marron."

Marron set the tray on her mother's lap. "Is OK! I just used the toaster!"

18 looked down at the two very, very dark pieces of bread on the tray and a half-full glass of orange juice. "Hm. So it would seem." She smiled warmly. "Thank you, sweetheart, this was very thoughtful of you. But next time we wait for a grownup, alright?"

"Kay!" the little girl grinned and tiptoed to the other side of the bed. "Papa still sleepin', huh?"

"Papa was very worried yesterday and worked very hard to make sure we got all better." 18 ran a hand through Krillin's hair. "You have a very thoughtful daddy, Marron."

"The BEST daddy!" Marron leaned forward and gently pecked her Papa's cheek. "Thank you, Papa," she whispered. "I love you whole bunches."

18 leaned down and pecked his cheek as well before lifting the tray from her lap and heading down the stairs. "Come on sweetheart, let's go make daddy a big breakfast as a thank you."

Marron's eyes lit up. "OH, can we make waffles?!" 18 nodded and Marron clapped her hands in excitement before running down the stairs, chattering away as her mom followed behind her.

And even through his deep slumber, Krillin smiled.

* * *

 _ **And we are officially done! This week has been a total blast, and it was nice to get to shake off some of the rust and contribute. Here's hoping you guys had a great week too and enjoyed celebrating the single-best, most underrated couple in DB!**_

 _ **See ya later!**_


	14. The Photo

"Can I open my eyes yet?"

"Nope." Krillin could hear 18 shuffling something around on the table in front of him.

He cleared his throat. "Okay then." He drummed his fingers nervously on the table. Today had been a relatively average day, really; a trip to the mainland to do some grocery shopping, grabbing a few new boards to repair the roof before the rainy season, nothing too big.

Until he'd taken five steps through the door and 18 had suddenly grabbed him, forcibly sat him at the table and told him not to open his eyes "or else".

"So did I forget something you'd needed or..."

He heard her slide out the chair across from his. "Nope."

"So I'm NOT in trouble then?"

18 snorted. "What, you think I was bringing you in here to whack you? Nah. Would make too much of a mess in here. Ashes and scorch marks _everywhere."_ She tapped him on the shoulder. "Here. You can look now."

Krillin slightly opened one eye to see 18 holding out a rectangular package, neatly wrapped in some sort of generic red paper with puppies. "Oh! Oh wow, is this for me?'

"Yep."

He reached out and took the gift. "Gosh, thanks a bunch. Though I'm not really sure what the occasion i-"

"It's been a year, remember?"

He tilted his head, setting the present on the table. "A year? You mean since Cell and the bombs? Wasn't that last week?"

She nodded. "Yeah. It was." She fidgeted with the necklace he'd gotten her; a simple gold "18" on a chain.. "I figured since you'd gotten me something that custom dictated I do the same." She smirked. "Unless, of course, you'd rather I just skip it..."

Krillin raised his hands "Nono! I'm not complaining, will take." He grinned. "It's just a nice surprise is all."

"It was supposed to be. Took me a while to finally get this, and then I come back to wrap it and then suddenly you're barging in the door like you own the place..."

He chuckled. "Yeah, imagine that. How rude of me."

18 drummed her fingers on the table again. "Well? Open it up." She couldn't help but smile as he eagerly snatched his present back up and tore through the paper.

Krillin's excitement gave way to shock, as his mouth fell open. A framed photo. Specifically, one of he and 18 together. They were conversing, and clearly he'd managed to say something either very funny or very dumb, as 18 had been captured mid-laugh, and the sight, the memory, made his cheeks go red.

"This is... wow..."

18 was fidgeting with her necklace again. "So you like it then?"

He looked up and grinned. "I _love_ it!"

18 relaxed her grip on the necklace and smiled. "I'm glad to hear it. It took me a while to track that down and get a print made."

"This was at Goten's Arrival party, wasn't it? I don't really remember there being any photographers there."

"There weren't." 18 smirked. "Bulma went all camera-happy and insisted on snapping pictures of everyone. Including me. Even after I asked her not to."

Krillin laughed. He knew 18 to be a bit camera shy. "So that's why you left the table all of the sudden then, huh?"

"Yeah. I tried to make her delete it back then and she refused. In retrospect, I'm glad she didn't. I know you love to keep photos of all your friends, and all that sentimental junk, so I figured..." She hesitated. "I figured that since you've been such a good friend to me this last year, that you more than earned the right to preserve a memory or two. And honestly... I'd like to preserve this one too."

"Thank you," he said, smiling brightly. "So much. It means more to me than you know."

She grinned and reached over to ruffle the scruff growing in at the top of his head. "I'm glad. Now let's get this stuff in the fridge before it goes bad, huh?" 

* * *

As the sunlight peeked through their bedroom window, 18 smiled down at the photo. Krillin had kept it by his bedside every day since then. Sure, the frame'd had to be replaced a few times, for reasons that threatened to turn her smile to a smirk, but the way Krillin had been so reverent of it, of her, had touched her in ways she had never known she could be.

Her gaze turned to the sleeping form of her new husband, smiling in his sleep. She reached over and gently ruffled his hair before leaning in and placing a gentle kiss on his forehead, careful not to wake him.

"Thank you," she whispered. "For being my best friend."


End file.
